New Jersey governor putting state back in environmental pact

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's new Democratic governor has ordered the state to rejoin a regional environmental pact, reversing a decision by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed the executive order Monday to put New Jersey back in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Christie announced in 2011 that the state would leave the initiative, saying the pact didn't effectively reduce greenhouse emissions and amounted to a tax on utility customers.

The RGGI is a cap-and-trade program of nine New England and mid-Atlantic states whose aim is to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

Murphy said Christie's decision to withdraw from the compact led New Jersey to fall behind on the critical goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of global climate change.